Gusty Spence

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Augustus ("Gusty") Spence (born 28 June 1933) is a former member of the Ulster Volunteer Force and a leading loyalist politician.

Spence was born in the Shankill Road area of Belfast and took various manual jobs in the area until joining the British Army in 1957 as a member of the Royal Ulster Rifles. He served in the army until 1961 when ill-health forced him to leave.

Spence became involved with the UVF not long after their foundation in 1966. He was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder the following year and soon became UVF commander whilst in the Maze Prison. Spence broke from violence in 1977 and left the UVF altogether the following year, calling instead for reconciliation in Northern Ireland. He also became a fluent speaker of the Irish language during his time spent in the jails.

Released from prison in 1984, he soon became a leading member of the Progressive Unionist Party and a central figure in the Northern Ireland peace process. He was entrusted by the Combined Loyalist Military Command to read out their 1994 statement that announced the loyalist ceasefire. He went on to become a leading advocate of the Belfast Agreement.

Spence remains a member of the PUP as well as a community worker on the Shankill, although he has scaled back his active role given his advancing years.